Two 2018 Neligh-Oakdale graduates were among the first to test drive the new electric scooters on their college campus this week.

Rachel Higgins and Courtni Heckert, sophomores at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, hopped on the new scooters and cruised around the UNK campus.

Pending contract completion, nine Segway-brand scooters will be available next week for students, staff, faculty and visitors who want to zip around on the two-wheeled transportation devices, according to UNK communications. If the initial launch is a success, up to 11 additional scooters could be added to the rental program.

“One of our biggest goals here at UNK is to keep up with new trends and ensure those offerings are available for students,” said Michael Christen, director of business services at UNK. “We want to meet student demands and be ahead of the game, rather than play catch-up.”UNK is the first University of Nebraska campus to allow e-scooters.

“They are popular, they add to the student experience and they will set our campus apart from others,” UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen said. “Riding the scooters is a fun, enjoyable experience.”

To rent a scooter, riders must download the Goat mobile app and create an account. Then you simply scan a QR code to unlock the device and away you go. It costs $1 to start a scooter and 15 cents for every minute of use.